1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to devices of the class which are commonly referred to as novelty or gift items and more particularly to a novel simulated aircraft piloting device which is particularly suited for use as either a desktop pen holder or a desktop amusement device.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Over the years, pen holders have been very popular as desktop accessories and highly favored as novelty or gift items. Desktop pen holders are available in a wide variety of styles, complexities, and costs but all have the same basic structure of a base and a socket-like receiver for removably receiving a writing pen, such as a fountain pen or a ball point pen. The simulated aircraft piloting device of this invention is particularly suited for use as such a pen holder.
British patent application publication No. 2,256,433 A discloses a desktop pen holder embodying a simulated aircraft piloting device. Simply stated, this pen holder includes a base mounting a simulated aircraft and a simulated aircraft controller in the form of simulated flight control stick, and fishing lines connecting the aircraft and control stick for effecting movement of the aircraft in response to movement of the stick. The simulated flight control stick includes a pen receiver and writing pen removably positioned in the receiver. The aircraft is mounted on the base for simulated roll movement about a simulated roll axis extending longitudinally of the aircraft fuselage and simulated pitch movement about a simulated pitch axis transverse to the roll axis. The pen receiver of the simulated aircraft control stick is pivotally mounted on the base for simulated aircraft roll and pitch control movements and is connected to the aircraft by fishing lines in a manner such that the aircraft is movable in roll and pitch by moving the pen of the flight control stick. The simulated aircraft of this pen holder is not capable of simulated aircraft yaw movement about a yaw axis.
As mentioned above, the lower end of the simulated flight stick of the patented pen holder is connected to the simulated aircraft by fishing lines which transmit the movements of the stick to the aircraft. The following patents disclose mechanical linkage arrangements for transmitting movements from a movable controller to a movable part: No. 2,814,276 dated Nov. 26, 1957, to Craig; No. 3,966,162 dated Jun. 29, 1976, to Hadley; No. 4,152,950 dated May 8, 1979, to Langford; No. 4,459,870 dated Jul. 17, 1984, to Gill et al; No. RE. 34,057 dated Sep. 8, 1992, to Middlesworth.